Article: With
Tilghman's Resignation, Another Pioneer Female President Moves On
By Jack Stripling
Dr.
Tilghman’s resignation announcement as President of Princeton University is the
most recent in a string of women in high university leadership to step down
from such a role. For
Dr. Tilghman, her entrance into Princeton University came as world class
researcher and pioneer in mammalian cloning and the science of genetics (Stripling, 2012).
Since Dr. Tilghman's appointment, many Ivy leagues have chosen to continue offering the position
of university president to other women which is a refreshing thought in breaking
through the glass ceiling.
This
article stimulated internal dissonance with regards to the everlasting question
of choosing between personal goals and professional aspirations. In 1993, Tilghman
spoke out about the tenure process as infringing on professional opportunities
for women because of personal occurrences during that time like marriage and
starting a family (Stripling, 2012). The comment stirred a lot of controversy
from other educators who honed in on the process being based solely on merit.
Upon seeing this discussion, I felt disappointment in the lasting
perception that it is reasonable to adequately tend to a personal matter and high
professional aspirations. These
assumptions discount the impact of family life and the tenure process as well
as societal pressures for women to conform to gender roles and avoid being selfish
in their professional pursuits.
The
question of seeking tenure and achieving prominent leadership roles in the
future or having a family is one that my peers and I discuss constantly. For most of us who are ethnic minorities, the pressures of family life are strong cultural expectations. Research
demonstrates the reality of gender is a marginalizing factor, not to mention
the added considerations of race that play factors in the selection process and
experience (Aguilar et al, 1995). Mary Alfred spoke about the marginalization
of African American faculty seeking tenure and explained how women could
achieve a positive outlook of their minority status based on gender and ethnic background
within the context of a “reconceptualization manifested through positive
self-definition, Black cultural identity, having a safe space to escape
oppressive forces, and by rejecting externally constructed definitions of their
Black womanhood” (Alfred, 2001). As the article goes on, it becomes clear that
identity and personal goals are commonly compromised for professional achievement,
at the expense of women educators.
Essentially, for ethnic minority women seeking
tenure and high administration roles, the process is further complicated. It is
difficult for anyone to discount their identity as they navigate finding
success in academia. Upon her announcement Dr. Tilghman declared that the
gender of the next president will not be an issue in the selection process and
she believes “I
don't think there's anybody who will be remotely interested in whether the next
president is male or female. I think they're going to be interested in who that
person is and what qualities that they bring with them" (Stripling, 2012).
Tilghman
will be taking a year off and then returning to Princeton as a faculty member
in 2014. This series of events leads me to ask: What are the burnout rates for
women in high leadership? Is it possible for a female president to last longer
than a few years? How might race influence the experience of tenure or high leadership? Is the feat really feasible,
even in a female dominated field with continued high rates of male leadership?
Resources
Aguilar, M.A. DiNitto, D., Franklin, C. Jordan, C.
(1995) Environment Over the Edge? Women and Tenure in Today’s Academic 10,
255-279.
Alfred, M.V. (2001). Reconceptualizing
marginality from the margins: Perspectives of African American tenured female faculty at a White research
university. Western
Journal of Black Studies,
25, 1-12.
Stripling,
J. (2012). With
Tilghman's Resignation, Another Pioneer Female President Moves On. Chronicle of Higher Education, Retrieved from:http://chronicle.com/article/Another -Pioneer-Female/134600/.
Great article, I totally agreed with your questions and the concern on how it will be possible for women to last long in their position as leaders if they have other expectations to fulfill, such as: being a wife, a mother, caretaker and professional. If they experience burnout it means they are emotionally and physical exhausted. Research shows that the sources of stressors have not changed over the years therefore, it would be interesting to find out how women are coping with these essues. Women presidents in higher education are still underrepresented;because they are not getting the same opportunities as men. It is crucial to continue researching to possible solutions that could lead to their dream job of becoming leaders in the field of higher education, and to have equal pay and benefits in a field where male leadership still dominates
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is definitely still a great need for women, especially those of color, to take on more top leadership positions in higher education institutions. Though finding an adequate balance between personal and career goals can difficult, there are many inspirational examples of women who have paved their paths in male dominated fields—granted not without challenges but it is possible with careful planning, familial and institutional support, and some sacrifices. Personally, there is no doubt in my mind that women are just as capable of serving in long term top leadership positions as men, but as you and Zuleyma have asserted, there is a continued need for research to better understand how colleges and universities can increase access and retention of qualified female leaders. Further, I would be interested in knowing Dr. Tilghman’s reasons for stepping down: Was it truly a case of burnout or were there other factors that influenced her decision?
ReplyDelete--Adriana Garcia